One known analgesic electrotherapy technique is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, commonly called TENS. The latter consists in exciting sensitive afferent paths by means of electrodes placed on the skin, so as to reduce or block the pain. This technique is widely known and regularly used to combat various types of pain.
Most migraines and tension headaches spread on to the surface of the front half of the cranium. The afferent path of this pain is located in the trigeminal nerve (Trigeminus nervus), shown in FIG. 1, which has three branches: the ophthalmic branch 1, the maxillary branch 4 and the mandibular branch 5. The afferent path of the above-mentioned pain is more precisely the upper branch of the trigeminal nerve 1 which is also called Willis' ophthalmic nerve. This nerve divides into two branches on the forehead: the internal frontal (or supratrochlear) nerve 2 and the external frontal (or supraorbital) nerve 3.
It is known that the application of analgesic electrotherapy of a TENS type to the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves allows one to considerably reduce or even completely the pain of most migraines and tension headaches.
US2009210028 discloses a device for the electrotherapeutic treatment of headaches, comprising an elongated symmetrical element to support two contact electrodes to be applied transversally to the upper part of the face in the supraorbital region. Each of the electrodes being in contact with a self-adhesive conductive gel applied to the surface of the support intended to be applied to the skin of the face. Said conductive gel is applied to two given lateral zones mainly covering the entire support with the exception of an insulating central zone. The device also comprises an electric circuit for supplying said electrodes by low voltage electric pulses. The electrode support has a shape and size selected so as to allow, independently from the subject, the excitation of afferent paths of the supratrochlear and supraorbital nerves of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. The electric circuit comprises a programmable signal generator suitable for creating pulses of a duration of between 150 and 450 microseconds with a maximum increase in intensity of 0 to 20 milliamperes (mA) at a rate of less than or equal to 40 microamperes per second and with a step up in intensity not exceeding 50 microamperes.
Document WO 2006/051370 discloses an electrotherapy device applied in particular to the treatment of migraines and other headaches. The device comprises at least one electrode for the application of a treatment current and a means of control. The latter comprises at least a means of activation for initiating the provision of a predetermined current profile in its various parameters, in particular the intensity, and a means of stabilization which, when it is activated, causes a modification of said current profile by restricting the intensity of the current to its value at the moment of activation of said means of stabilization. This would therefore limit the risk of too intense a pain for the patient during the application of a predetermined current profile thanks to the means of stabilization that the patient himself can activate.
The devices and methods of the prior art are devoid of systems and/or mechanisms allowing monitoring of the intensity of the stimulations. If the device is dysfunctional, the user is not notified and might continue using it believing it is functional. In this case, the user will be disappointed as the desired goal will not be reached. Another disadvantage of the devices of the prior art resides in the fact that the user and/or the health professional is not aware of the efficiency neither of the treatment nor of the compliance to the treatment.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a solution to overcome at least part of the above mentioned disadvantages. The invention thereto aims to provide a method and a device as described by the description below and by the claims.